Porsche plans twin Panamera hybrids

Speaking at a technical briefing about the new model in Germany last week, Dr Gernot Dollner, Product Line Director Panamera, revealed to Drive that there would be a two-pronged hybrid line-up for the new model.

The new hybrid duo form a big part of Porsche's plan for the Panamera, and was one of the key factors in the company's decision to build an entirely new platform, engine line-up and transmission for the second-generation model.

Porsche has also introduced a new electronic system in the car and designed a new chassis and suspension system that is electro-mechanical rather than hydraulic, in order to better suit the plug-in hybrids and also the Mission E electric car, currently under development.

The German firm developed a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission for the Panamera which features a large space at the front to accommodate an electric motor.

"There is a big space for it," Dollner said. "When we designed the car from scratch that was one of the main reasons to do a new architecture, to have that hybridisation in the architecture. What I can say today is that we'll have two, performance-oriented hybrid versions."

Porsche offered a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine paired with an electric motor in the original Panamera S E-Hybrid. But that model could not be considered "performance-orientated", instead focusing on fuel economy primarily.

But Dollner would not leak any details about what form the two plug-ins will take.

"Both will have the idea of being performance-oriented," he told Drive.

Asked if that meant two different combustion engines he only said cryptically: "Two different versions. We'll see."

Drive understands the two different plug-in hybrids will feature two different engines, one with a smaller engine and one which will use the electric motor for a performance boost, similar to the 918 Spyder, to create a hybrid hero sports sedan.

Dollner also confirmed that the range would expand from its current range of all-wheel drive only models, but would do so with different engines.

He explained the new 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 in the Panamera Turbo and the 4.0-litre V8 turbo diesel and the 2.9 twin-turbo V6 petrol in the S models were too much for rear-wheel drive.

"These models will all stay with all-wheel drive because we have reached a performance level, of power and torque, that rear-wheel drive doesn't make sense for the S and the Turbo models," he said. "We'll see rear-wheel drive later on with different engines."